Conundrum
by softballlover21
Summary: Sequel to Half Moon. Upon Rachel's arrival, Seth imprinted. Now, 16 years later, when their relation heats, will Rachel's "internal" conflict form an impenetrable wall between the two? Can this barrier be broken? OC R&R please!
1. Prologue

Prologue:

I had to do it. I know that this was truly how I wanted things. It was better this way, I was sure. But if this was the case, why do I feel so empty? So vacant and lost? I had told myself numerous times that I wouldn't be forced into anything; I make my own decisions. Is that why I am speeding down this highway, never looking behind me? Leaving my family and friends in the dust so I can choose things for myself? Leaving everything I've ever known just so I can sort them out?

Or is it even possible to have a fair chosen life, judging by the family I was born into? I don't know, I'm confused, as most regular sixteen year olds are. But then again, when am I ever not confused around these people I love?


	2. Chapter 1

**Here it is! The sequel to Half Moon! :D**

**We start out with Rachel's POV. She is 16 years old, as well as her sister.**

**(Hint: If you haven't read my story Half Moon, more than likely this won't make much sense yet.)**

Chapter 1- Rachel's POV

_The glittering waves of La Push beach beamed in my eyes. Squinting, I felt the unfamiliar heat of the sun pounding on my small, tan back. I just couldn't muster the courage to take on this huge water. My water-wingies squeaked as I nervously squirmed. My toes weren't even touching the rolling tide. I wouldn't allow it._

"_C'mon, Rach!" Seth called from the water. He was only knee-deep, yet he seemed an eternity away. I whimpered a little._

"_I-I can't do it, Sef," I admitted, trying to be a brave three year old. "Too scawy."_

_This was one of the few sunny days this small town of Forks sees each year. Seth had the brilliant idea of taking me out to La Push to take advantage of this beautiful weather. I had agreed whole-heartedly, not knowing his plans. Any time with Seth was a fun time for me. Thinking back on it now, I wondered why my parents were so trusting in Seth. After nearly losing me a month after I was born, you would think they would follow me everywhere. However, they had no problems with Seth watching me. They knew he would never let anything happen to their beloved daughter._

_I saw Seth trudging though the salty water. Slowly, you could begin to see his entire body as he exited the ocean. He casually strode towards me, a caring look in his eyes. As he finally reached my side, he flopped down to my eye level. I still was shaking, staring the monstrous ocean down. So far, the ocean was winning._

"_Hey, Rach," he said gently, dragging my attention from the water. He put his warm hands on my little shoulders. "Why are you so scared? You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you."_

_I looked away from his eyes when I heard an especially big wave hitting the shore. Eyes wide, and completely mesmerized, I answered, "Look how big it is. One of those waves would eat me up!"_

_I pointed to peaking surf, observing how it crashed down with no mercy. A little thing like me would certainly never make it out of the wave's evil clutches. _

_Seth chuckled._

"_Come here. I'll hold you," he said, lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my little arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. "We're not going that far out."_

_He made the first steps into the water. I whimpered. _

"_It's okay, Rach, I promise," he told me. As if trying to prove him wrong, a large wave hit his legs and water spewed up into my face. _

_I wiped it off, gagging on the salty taste. It burned my eyes. Mean ole water. _

_Peering over Seth's shoulder, I could see the edge of dry land inching away. We were in the deeper water now. I slammed my eyes shut and hid in the crook of Seth's neck. He instinctively held me tighter in my place._

_We stopped moving, and Seth announced, "Okay, look!"_

_Reluctantly, I opened my eyes. I craned my neck around to find that we were a little more than knee-deep. I realized there was no torrent of ocean spray, no deadly waves, nothing harmful, it seemed. My heart relaxed, and things seemed calm. Seth smiled to me, causing me to giggle with relief. He laughed and spun me around playfully._

"_Maybe the ocean isn't so scawy after all," I had thought. I had let only one more laugh escape when a sudden force smacked me in the side. I felt Seth's protective arms slip away, and a cold, wet mass replace them. The water pulled me under, twirling me swiftly. I hit the shallow seafloor, feeling for an idea as to where I was. I felt bits and shards of seashells and rocks that cut my skin. The salty water was penetrating my tiny lids and burning my eyes intensely. Only knowing which way was up, I pushed hard against the seafloor, eventually embracing the air. _

_Gasping, I stood and opened my eyes, finding myself in waist-deep water across from Seth. His mouth hung open in shock, and to my and his surprise, I let out a glorified yell, accompanied by giggles._

"_That was fun, Sef!" And he pulled me into his laughing embrace. _

***

Smiling, I awoke to another gray morning. The rain pelted the window, causing me to jump. To anyone else, this would be considered a particularly depressing day. But, being raised in the town of Forks does things to you. I now _expect _the rain, and I almost feel lonely when it's not around.

I laughed uneasily and looked over to my sister in the opposite bed. She was intently watching me, as if I were entertainment. Allysen always woke up early, no matter if it were summer break or not. She was smiling, obviously having fun.

"Let me guess," she began, staring at me expectantly. "Another Seth-dream?"

Rolling off of my twin bed, I stood and stretched.

"What do you think, Allysen?"

She stuck her tongue out tauntingly and sang, "Rachey's got a boyfriend! Rachey's got a boyfriend!"

I grabbed my bag from the post of my bed and slung it in her general direction. It hit her curly head with a thud. "Ow," she muttered, crinkling her eyebrows and rubbing the spot where it hit.

"How old are you anyway?" I asked hastily, pulling out my outfit for today. It consisted of jeans and a brown camisole. It was incredibly balmy today. Hot, rainy days in Forks were abnormal. I looked myself over in the vanity mirror once my outfit was on.

"I am sixteen, thank you," she sniffed. She too rolled out of bed and began brushing her long blonde hair. She pulled it into a curly ponytail then faced me. "I don't know why you get so defensive when I talk to you about Seth, though. Are you ashamed of you two? If I were you, I would be grateful for what you're given."

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm ungrateful? I'm grateful for everything given to me. It sounds to me as if you're jealous," I said, placing a brown headband on the crown of my head. Allysen slammed her brush on the vanity and stared me down.

"Jealous? I-" Allysen caught herself before she went any further. She bit her lip, and ate her words that were sitting on her tongue.

"Besides, nothing is set in stone for me. Seth, maybe, but not me."

"What do you mean? You're crazy over Seth, right? We all thought so!" She shrieked. Something struck a nerve in Allysen. I bit my lip in thought. I was crazy over Seth, wasn't I? Of course, there was no doubt about it. But there was still this uneasy feeling resting inside me. Like something wasn't right. Seth was always with me whenever possible since day one of my sixteen years of existence. A part of me feels blissful, yet guilty at the same time. I loved him, but I was almost sorry he was stuck with me.

I was still staring into my vanity mirror when a loud honk echoed through our home. I knew that car horn anywhere. Seth was here to get me for the day. He honked loudly again, and the sound reverberated through the house.

I still wasn't accustomed to this smaller home we recently moved into. About six months ago, my mother, father, sister, and myself moved into a roomy cabin in La Push. My parents felt the Cullen Mansion was getting a little crowded, so we moved. I knew I would miss being around all of my family all the time, but I liked this change for the most part. Our cabin was definitely different, but it was home.

I grabbed my bag I threw earlier and scrambled out the door.

"Talk to you later, Ally!" I yelled as I flew down the staircase. She smirked from the top of the flight. I knew that conversation was certainly not over.

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad! Love you!" I shouted, hoping for a quick response. Mom emerged from the kitchen with a smile. She grabbed me from my sprint into a hug.

I still find our entire family slightly humorous. We all look the same age, almost, however, four generations have flourished within. For example, my mother and I look nearly the same age. Same height, and width, but she is definitely more motherly. She is radiant in her immortality, just as my grandmother and great-grandmother have come to be. And hopefully, I will be as well.

"Bye Rachel, I love you. Be careful, and be home by six. I'll tell your Dad you left."

"Kay, bye!" And I hustled for the door. But before I could reach it, it swung open dramatically. A dripping wet Seth jumped through the doorway. My heart fluttered inside my chest. I felt my excited tummy perform flip flops in my gut. He always did this to me. It's like when I see him, my pulse does this stutter-step action. I guess that's what Mom means by "that love feeling."

Without saying a word he grabbed an umbrella from the closet, then took my hand.

"You're gonna need this," he greeted once we stepped on the porch. With the click of a button, the vinyl exploded into a protective canopy.

"Thank you!" I screamed over the roaring rain.

We darted from the porch to his old Chevy truck. Seth stopped to quickly open my door, and then ran to the driver's side. I snapped the umbrella shut. Shrieking from the downpour of rain, I stumbled into the dry automobile.

We both sat, huffing for a solid minute. I looked over to Seth who was smiling silently, not exactly bothered by the rain.

"Nice weather, today," he stated, obviously sarcastic, gesturing outside his window. You could barely see through it. I let out a loud laugh, cueing Seth to pull out of the driveway.

"Well good morning, Miss Rachel. How are we today?"

I grinned towards Seth. His hair was in its everyday, spiky hairdo; however, today it was laced with shimmering droplets of water that dripped down his face when he spoke. His t-shirt clung to his masculine body as if it were painted on. His muscles seemed as if they grew each day. The same goes for his height. He was changing from the lanky, young werewolf to a mature, strong contributor to the pack.

I had to say, it pleased me.

"What are you staring at?" He chuckled, waving his hand. I shook my head quickly and blushed.

"Nothing! I'm okay, I guess," I replied, facing the window. My internal debate from this morning reentered my mind. Why did I worry so much? It was unfair, I had decided. This imprinting thing was difficult and unjust, especially to a great guy like Seth.

"Okay? Just okay? What's wrong, Rach?" Seth pulled my chin in his direction. He looked concerned. I sighed. Now wasn't the right time. Seth pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park.

"Nothing's wrong, Seth," I lied perfectly. If there was one thing that I could do, it would be convincing somebody that the sky is not blue, they merely have a color-analyzing deficiency.

"Rachel Marie Black. I know you better than anybody on this planet. Even more than your mom and dad. Something is wrong with you," he pried, looking deep into my eyes.

I flinched, and shuddered away.

"Absolutely nothing is wrong with me, Seth!" I insisted, sweetly. Seth raised an eyebrow and backed away.

"There is, and let it be known I will find out, missy," he said firmly, putting the car in gear and driving on. He gently took my hand, lacing our fingers. All the while he never looked away from the road.

I pulled in a deep breath and shivered. I had a feeling this would not be easy.

***


End file.
